A Turtle Divided
by violet-bo
Summary: After a mishap with the Kraang, something is definitely... different with Donnie. How will the Hamato clan deal with one of their biggest challenges yet- Donatello's multiple personalities?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is Bo (Or Violet, whichever you prefer). This is an idea I got while doing a bit of research, and I don't think there are enough split personality fics out there. So, tada! This was born. This is for all of you Rob Paulsen fans out there! Also, a few bits from Lie to Me. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, Yakko, Jack, Mark, or Pinky. I'll leave you to guess each reference.**

**Chapter One**

"What exactly are we looking for again?" Came Leo's whispered voice through the dark tunnel. The leader of the line, Donnie, sighed in exasperation before halting and turning back to his brothers.

"Like I said before, Spy Roach #7 picked up some fishy Kraang activity in this warehouse! Now, I'm assuming it's got something to do with new technology or science, so it _must_ be coming from the laboratory, which my scanners tell me is at the end of this air duct. Now, be quiet!" He said quietly, shooting them each a glare before turning his tail on them and pressing forward. Mikey and Leo shrugged and followed, a growling Raphael not far behind. The metal walls scraped their shells uncomfortably, and truthfully the other three were eager to just leave.

Donnie stopped, pointing to a grate in front of them.

"Down here."

One by one, they each dropped down into the dark laboratory, no light with exception of a few glowing substances in the corner. They could see the shadows and skeletal figures of various machines, every one with some strange purpose unknown to the turtles.

Quickly determining the coast was clear, Donatello immediately beelined for the opposite corner, where a few test tubes sat, each holding a liquid a different color than the last. He sighed in fascination as he lifted each carefully, examining their contents and then moving on to mentally document the next. 'Way cool', he thought to himself, finding it very tempting to drool.

"Hey guys! Check it out!" Mikey called obnoxiously, dancing around with a blinking helmet on his round head. Raph face-palmed and Leo ran forward yelling carelessly for him to remove the object at once.

Red lights started flashing and a deafening alarm sounded.

"Great! Nice going, you two!" Raph scolded scorchingly, and the turtles in question bowed their heads sheepishly.

"Dudes, not the time!" Donnie called out, pointing to the door where dozens of Kraang droids were spilling in, each donning a laser gun and aiming right at them. The turtles brandished their weapons with a flourish, waiting for the leader to give a command.

"Turtles, attack!" Leo cried, and with a loud battle screech, Raph ran forward and decapitated three bots. Mikey shook the helmet from his head and soon joined his other two brothers, swinging his nunchuku left and right, downing many droids as he passed them. Donnie bared his bo and he too rushed into the fray, trying hard not to count how many Kraang outnumbered them.

As he swept his leg in an attempt to knock a droid down, however, he himself was knocked off-center, landing with a thud against the far wall. His snapped staff pieces landed by his side.

Mikey had happened to overhear the thump as his older brother hit the hard wall, and turned to see a laser gun right in Donnie's face. The teen was pressing himself as far as he could into the wall, his eyes wide and his mouth open slightly to reveal his gap tooth. Acting on instinct, the turtle in orange threw his chain at the offending droid and kicked away any remaining Kraang, reaching out a hand to help his embarrassed sibling up.

"Yo Mikey, watch out!" Came Leo's warning voice from somewhere in the scuffle, and both brothers looked up to see a dart flying through the air, seconds away from embedding itself in Michelangelo's flesh.

What happened next was a blur.

Next thing Mikey knew, he was on the floor off to the side, with Donnie landing next to him, limp as a ragdoll with a fuzzy... thing sticking out of his neck. The glowing green substance housed in the dart's glass body was quickly drained into the purple-clad turtle's bloodstream, and he groaned in pain. His eyes were clenched shut.

"No! Nonononononononononononono!" was all that seemed to leave Mikey's mouth as he hunched over his sibling and frantically scanned him up and down, finding the projectile and ripping it from Donnie's skin. But it was too late; the damage had long since been done.

"Guys! Guys, Donnie's hit! We gotta get outta here!" He shouted in a panic, waving his arms dramatically to catch the remaining turtles' attention. They both froze mid-fight and stared with wide eyes, forgetting the remaining enemies and rushing to the youngest's side.

Donatello remained unconscious through it all, even when three sets of hands lifted him onto Raphael's shell, even as they ran hurriedly through the bumpy sewers, even as his father looked over him for wounds. Even when April took several blood samples, he didn't move an inch.

"I- Guys, I have no idea what they injected in him." She announced the following day, walking slowly through the turnstiles and hoping they didn't shun her for bringing such bad news. Leonardo hung his head in a depressed manner, hunching his shoulders in a very un-Leo way. Mikey pouted, and Raph punched the practice dummy twice as hard. Donnie remained asleep.

"I mean, there are no traces of it anywhere in his body _except _for in his brain, where it seems to have been engineered to target. It doesn't resemble any earth poisons, chemicals, or compounds and doesn't seem to be doing anything other than keeping him asleep! His heart, lungs, and other organs all seem fine, and his brain function seems normal as well. It's a scientific enigma!" She had slipped into scientist mode again, not noticing the troubled looks on the other teenagers occupying the room.

"Ape. Dy'a thinkya could maybe check his brain again? Maybe just in case?" Came Mikey's timid voice, startling them all for a moment. April smiled sympathetically and nodded gently.

"Sure, Mikey." She said.

Minutes later she had Donnie hooked up to the most advanced of his machinery, a strainer on his head and electrodes on his temples. Wires connected each piece to the main computer, and data was streaming in every minute or so, in wavy lines and colorful scribbles that only April could read. The lines would go up and down at a steady, methodical pace, staying completely the same, and April seemed pleased with this.

But then a troubled look crossed her young features, and she typed something into the keyboard, reviewing the last twenty seconds or so of data. She replayed this bit over and over, and Raph- who was standing against the wall in the corner- was beginning to get anxious.

"What is it?" He demanded.

"There's a warble... right... there." She explained, pointing a long finger to a small tremor in the methodical movements.

"So what's that mean?" Leonardo asked, finally seeing what she was talking about. April watched the warble again, her face mere inches from the screen.

"I don't know, but I have a very bad feeling about it." Was all she said. Her words visibly shook the remaining turtle brothers.

"Aww, don't feel bad, missy!" Came a somewhat familiar voice from the cot below. All eyes shot to where Donnie had been lying still moments before, only to see the terrapin now sitting up and watching her intently, a corny smile on his face. Something seemed a bit different in the way he held himself, just in his posture alone they knew he was changed slightly.

"Donnie! Oh, bro! You scared the living pizza outta us!" Mikey cried, launching himself at the olive turtle and embracing him warmly. Donnie surprisingly smiled even wider, as if nothing was absolutely wrong and he hadn't a care in the world. He threw the strainer helmet off his head, and ripped off the electrodes.

"I hope the pizza isn't alive! It's alright, boy sibling!" Donnie said, his voice more high-pitched than usual. His goofy grin never left his face.

When Leo took a step forward, Donnie jumped up with surprising agility and leapt over their heads, running and giggling around the main room. He jumped over sofas, skated on various skateboards strewn about, and finally landed with a flourish atop the TV. The others all watched him suspiciously, not knowing what exactly to do.

"Methinks he's lost it, this one," Mikey whispered to Raph, who in turn bapped him upside the head.

"Donnie, stop this right now!" Leo commanded. But the geeky turtle didn't respond to him at all. In fact, there was not a hint of recognition on his face that is usually there when one hears their own name. Oh yes, there was definitely something wrong here.

"Don, get down from there!" April called, and for once, he looked to her, but with a confused expression.

"You talkin' to me, beautiful?" He asked. Everyone stared in shock. Donnie was never so confidently flirtatious, and here he was, flirting as if it was second nature. He didn't even seem to notice he was doing it. He held himself more self-confidently, and had a more open feel about him. While normal Donatello was more introverted and shy, this new guy was very expressive and unashamed to show what he was feeling.

"Erm.. yeah, I am. Donnie, don't you remember me?" She asked, and he jumped down from his perch. Walking right up to her, he seemed to study every bit of her very intensely, a strange look on his face.

"Nnnnope!" He announced at last. "Why, should I know you guys? Wait- don't tell me! Let's see..." Donnie inspected each turtle in turn, a hand cupping his chin. He held his arm right next to Raph's, judging the differing shades and thicker muscles on the other.

"We're bros, right? Yeah, that orange dude called me bro. So, since I have no memory of ya'll being my sibs, why don't you refresh my recollec-shee-own." He drawled the last word obnoxiously. The other terrapins sat in stunned silence.

"Okay, well your name is Donatello," April started, stepping closer to the boy and studying each reaction; a flash of contempt lit up on his face at the name, but it was gone in a moment. "My name is April. We're best friends."

A cartoonish smile split his olive face.

"Helllloooo April!" He cried, blowing her a kiss. A blush tinted April's cheeks.

"Yes, well, um... These are your brothers, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo." At the lack of recognition on his face, they had a feeling that his amnesia was worse than they had thought.

But what confused the scientist in April was the apparent hatred he felt towards being called by his name.

"Hey Donnie," She said, and there it was again. A second-long snarl of disgust and contempt quickly covered by a cheesy smile.

"Why are you acting so... so..." She paused, not finding the right word.

"Zany?" Don filled in for her. She nodded.

"Well, that's kinda how I am, Nurse. Just like Wakko over there." He said, jerking a thumb in Mikey's direction. Mikey paused from stuffing a pizza in his mouth. How he managed to get a whole pizza in such short a time remained a mystery to them.

"Donnie, why are you calling us-"

"I AM NOT DONNIE, OKAY? Stop calling me that! My name is not Donnie!" He screeched in anger, clutching his head, not being able to hold it in anymore. His usual smile was gone. They all sat there, not sure what to make of this. April chalked it up to amnesia and then mistaken identity.

"Well, then what is your name?" She coaxed. Raph- who was leaned against the couch- growled in impatience.

"Ape, why are you playing along? Can't you see he's just pranking us?" April shot him a glare.

"My name," Said Not-Donnie, smile returned as he bowed politely, breaking the tension in the air, "is Yakko."


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. Much better feedback than I thought!

Quick note: I have made changes to who shall be one of Donnie's personalities. Also, some personalities are my own OC's.

Any facial expressions and their readings may be incorrect or made up. I am not trained in that area.

Alright, here goes!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT

Chapter Two

The collective silence that spread throughout the concrete room was eventually broken by Mikey's obnoxious laughter, wild enough to rival Yakko's.

"Dude, that's awesome!" He exclaimed, throwing a carefree arm around his not-brother's relaxed shoulders. Yakko laughed along with him, grinning evilly as a thought occurred to him.

"Do you like pranks, Wakko?" The sea-green turtle's confused look dissipated as the question computed in his wacky brain. A grin split his face.

"Heck yes! You know, I think you and me will get along just fine." He said happily, leading Yakko to his room by the shoulders so they might plan their first gag.

April turned to the two remaining turtles, a concerned expression on her face.

"Does Mikey not care that Donnie isn't who's occupying his brother's head?" She demanded, although her choice of wording took the oldest siblings a few moments to puzzle out. Leo nodded shortly, an angered scowl replacing his worried frown.

"Yeah, apparently pranks are more important to him, as usual. Urgh!" He cried, running forward in a sudden burst of energy and enacting his confused rage on the innocent punching bag. He rained blow after blow on the hard leather, and only when Raph laid a hand on his shoulder did he finally settle down.

"What is going on in here?!" Came Splinter's signature line from the dojo doorway. He had spent the past few hours meditating, trying to search out Donatello's consciousness. He found that when he did eventually reach it, he found his second-youngest child to be dormant, not thinking, moving, or functioning. He found this quite troubling.

The turtles and their human friend winced as they realized they had no clue how to explain this to Splinter.

As if on cue, there was a popping noise, and the paint-filled balloon hanging above Splinter's oblivious head exploded, a chuckling Yakko hiding around the nearest corner, grinning madly. Mikey stood behind him, waving his arms with a horrified expression. As much as he loved pranks, he at least knew that no one _ever_ pranked Splinter and got away with it. It was weird, April thought in those last few seconds when time seemed to slow down, to hear Donnie's normally controlled voice used to voice such a mischievous, not-Donnie giggle.

_Splat! _

There was suddenly a coating of pink paint covering Yakko and Mikey and the wall behind them, Splinter standing, seething, and unscathed. He seemed almost smug at the turtles' expressions of shock at his skill.

"Woah." Was all the olive turtle got out, his face full of awe and admiration and surprise.

"Donatello, what is the meaning of this?" He interrogated, standing face-to-face with the imposter wearing Donnie's skin and utilizing his teen son's high-pitched voice and green, expressive face to convey its own thoughts.

The boy just jumped up in a cartoon-like fashion and stood on his shoulders, crouching down and patting his cheek.

"Sorry buddy, but you must not have gotten the memo. I don't go by 'Donna Turtle' or whatever anymore. I'm Yakko, nice to meet you!" He said, jumping off of his father's back and standing to face him, thrusting his hand forward and offering a large smile and innocently batting (nonexistent) lashes.

Everyone else in the room was staring at him in shock (an action they seemed to be playing out often now). The way he talked to their Sensei was immensely disrespectful, and the uncalled-for unusual contact just screamed "I think of myself as above you." Even Splinter stared.  
"My son, what is this behavior?" He gasped, leaving the turtle's hand hanging.

Yakko studied him thoughtfully for a moment before nodding resolutely, ignoring the rat's words.

"You mind if I call you Scratchy?" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed a gawking Mikey's arm and pulled him back into the sanctuary that was his brother's room.

Long after they exited, Splinter was still blinking slowly, trying to process this new information.

"Explain." He commanded.

"Master, when he woke up he had no idea who we were or who he was." April began, trying to stand taller and seem braver under his intense gaze. "He claims his name is 'Yakko' and acts like a completely different person. He's wilder, more confident and more... flirtatious." A blush heated her cheeks and Raphael snickered from behind her. "He even has his own names for some of us, as you just discovered. My opinion is that the serum injected into his brain altered its function, giving him severe amnesia, a mistaken identity, and a mental world of his own, possibly resulting in him hallucinating that we are his characters." She concluded, and the rat master stroked his beard in thought.

"How long ago did he wake up?" He asked suddenly.

"Erm... about half an hour ago." Leo informed dutifully. Splinter looked deeply troubled at that.

"What?"

"While I was searching Donatello's consciousness through my meditation, I found him to be completely dormant. His mind was silent, and almost seemed to not be functioning. I had worried he had died, but his life was still clearly present. He was almost comatose."

The teens shared glances of confusion.

"Well, master, before he woke up, he technically _was _comatose." April stated, her voice clearly befuddled. Splinter shook his head insistently.

"No, you misunderstand. His consciousness was deeply asleep no more than _ten minutes ago._"

"... He was _awake _ten minutes ago..." Leo finished his father's thought. Now he too looked deeply worried.

April tried to argue his point, not being capable of believing that something that complex could be wrong.

"That could still be a fluke of... of... _something! _I still say that he's got amnesia, mistaken identity, and hallucinations. He probably calls us 'Nurse' and 'Wakko' and 'Scratchy' because he's hallucinating that we're his own characters. He probably sees us as... like, little black and white _cat children _for crying out loud! Even then, it supports my hypothesis!" She didn't know if her explanation made any sense at all, but she was so desperate for him to be alright, she was blubbering.

Splinter raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded his head to humor her.

"D-" He stopped himself before almost painfully calling out, "Yakko! Come here!"

In moments, Yakko was sliding into the room in a grand entrance all his own, smiling widely.

"Yyesss?"

"My son, we must test you on something." The boy regarded him with a curious expression before shaking out of it and flashing him a charming smile.

"Ooh! Is it about the countries of the world? I have a song for that! _United States, Canada..."_ He began, but Raph's hand clamped over his mouth. Splinter was quick to speak.

"No, my son, I just need to ask you a question to humor Miss O'Neil. Do you see me?" He inquired patiently. Yakko eyed him carefully, before nodding eagerly.

"What is my name?"

"Uh, Scratchy. Duh."

"What do I look like?" This question seemed to catch the cartoonish boy off guard, because he looked suspiciously at the man.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question." The boy sighed in exasperation before scanning him up and down.

"Well, you're a giant rat." He said stupidly.

"Yes, yes, very observant. Care ta be a little more specific, Wackadoodle?" Raph shouted.

"Alright, alright. Umm... you have really dark brown fur, but then the big lighter patches and stuff and you got eyes that are like red and orange and coffee mixed together. And you have a long pink bathrobe with red flowers on it -I don't judge, and your feet are like dinosaur claws cos they're all pink and long and kinda freaky. And you have a long furry noodle attached to your chin, and you have really long nails and you have really sharp buck teeth." He informed in a high voice. He smiled hugely for a moment before getting up and running off to cause more mischief, leaving a silent group behind.

"As you can see Miss O'Neil, he is not hallucinating our appearances." April broke out of her scared reverie.

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing! Just fix Donnie already before I blow a fuse!" Raph interrupted, shoving past a brooding Leonardo and stalking off to the dojo to beat something up.

"But Sensei! I can't just _fix _him! I don't even know what's _wrong _with him!" She implored. Her master's gaze softened slightly and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a very scared-sounding cry.

"AAHHH!"

Shortly followed by, "Sensei, HELP!"

Leo, Splinter, April, and Raph- who had just emerged after hearing the scream- jumped into action, sprinting towards Michelangelo's room, fearing the worst.

"What is it, Michelangelo?" Splinter asked, rushing to his side.

The messy room was even more trashed than usual, and several crates of comic books had been turned over in a hurry. There was no sign of Donatello, only a shaking and blubbering Mikey, who had managed to clean most of the fuchsia paint from his skin.

Mikey, still terrified from some sort of ordeal, collapsed into Splinter's arms, choking out random words like 'shaking... bed... scream... scared...' The aged rat raised a concerned brow.

"My son," He said gently, holding his youngest at arm's length, "what happened?"

Mikey took a deep breath before recounting his tale.

"Well, we were planning our next- _safer_- prank, and I asked him why he kept calling me Wakko, and then his eyes started twitching and his head drooped and his whole head was shaking, and then he straightened up again and screamed when I put a hand on his shoulder!"

A shaky whimper was suddenly heard from under the cluttered bed. Leo and April shared a look before each kneeling down and peering underneath it. A ratty tarp underneath them was tearing at the girl's stocking-clad knees.

"P-please, leave me b-be!" Came a weak voice.

And there of course lay Donnie, curled in on himself in the fetal position and rocking back and forth in the confining space, whimpering with his eyes clamped tightly shut.

"Donnie, buddy, it's alright. It's me, Leo, your brother. Come on out, alright bro?" Leo asked very, _very _gently, slowly reaching out a hand to his fearful sibling. The boy opened one eye, scanned the older turtle up and down, but remained where he was. His olive skin was coated in a feverish sweat, and his single red eye seemed to glow in the dark.

"'m not Donnie, not Donnie..." He started chanting to himself, almost as if reassuring himself. He chanted it in time with each rock. April was now officially worried. Not only was he acting completely out of the ordinary, but he had seemingly forgotten everyone again. And now he apparently had taken on a new personality for himself. Curiouser and curiouser, April thought humorlessly.

"Okay then Yakko, come on out." She tried, ignoring Raphael's angry snort from behind her. She too reached out her small hand, and this time, he opened both eyes very wide with childlike fear, looking at her once before flinching away from her and crying to himself.

"Don' hurt me..." He whimpered.

April had no idea how to respond to this; her best friend was acting like a terrified child. Oh, what she wouldn't give to have Donnie back right now; he's the one who would know what to do.

She was suddenly thrown to the side by a bull-like Raph as he took her spot, growling and reaching his arm under the bed forcefully, grabbing tightly onto one of the bony arms and yanking the turtle from under the bed. He ignored Not-Donnie-Or-Yakko's shrieks and screams of protest, and pulled him up until he stood on his own two feet. Keeping a deathgrip on his brother's forearm, he jerked him around to face him. Not-Donnie, however, was cowering under his glare, refusing to meet his gaze and shaking like a leaf.

"Donnie, cut the crap. Look at me! I am talking to you, Donnie, and you need to stop pretending." Raphael yelled into his face, while Leo and April jumped forward and tried fruitlessly to rip the boy from his brother's strong grip.

When the olive green turtle didn't respond, it made Raph even angrier, and he grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him. His stained purple mask flopped around his face as he was jerked back and forth, still not meeting Raph's furious eyes.

"'m not Donnie." At first, no one knew what he had said, he had muttered it so quietly.

"YES. YOU. ARE!" Raph screamed, releasing him in disgust and tossing him towards the doorway, towards Splinter, who was watching with a concerned expression. The boy stood hunched over, his eyes clenched tightly shut once again as he gripped his sides for comfort. He didn't know who these weird people were, but that red one sure was scary.

When a firm, but soft hand landed on his shoulder, Not-Donnie flinched and jumped simultaneously, holding back a screech of fear. The voice that spoke, however, was not so scary, and he looked up at the rat hesitantly.

"My son, why do you act like this? Please Donatello, answer me. I mean you no harm." The boy sighed sadly, tapping his fingers together and wondering if he could open up to these guys.

"'m'names William." He mumbled, eyes firmly on his large toes. He flinched in anticipation of more screaming, but when none came, he hesitantly raised his red eyes to curiously read their emotions. He knew he shouldn't pry, because doing so was bad and would probably earn him a smack, but he wanted to know what these strangers were thinking. One thing people didn't know about Will was his amazing ability of reading emotions and expressions. He himself was very expressive and emotional, and he supposed that was where his instinctual ability came from.

He studied the large rat's face with a trained eye, finding slightly raised eyebrows and frequent swallowing, twitching nose and narrowed eyes, corners of mouth turned down. The man was studying Will's face with equal intensity, watching as the intelligent gaze took _something _in.

"You're surprised." William said softly, still curled in on himself. At this, Splinter frowned in astonishment. The boy could read him! He returned to his earlier facial expression, trying to stay calm. Will took in his shift and cocked his head as he easily read the signs.

"And sad."

"You are very well taught in emotions." The teen seemed surprised at being praised, blinking before ducking his head again.

"I just do it, I guess." He whispered, suddenly shy again.

April stared at Donatello's body, utterly confused and completely worried. Mistaken identity had made much more sense before, but switches in personalities was unheard of! Whatever this was, it couldn't be good.

"Excuse me, miss?" came a timid voice interrupting her thoughts. He seemed to seriously lack any courage or confidence. Just the underlying terror in his voice made her take pity on him, and she smiled kindly, nodding encouragingly. He was blushing slightly, and shaking again.

"Yes?"

"Well, um, why are you, um," He stuttered, afraid she would hit him if he said what she was feeling out loud.

"Spit it out, Donnie!" Raph cried, marching forward again and raising his hands frustratedly. Will, however, took this as an offensive gesture, and he cowered further into himself, clutching his shoulder strap for comfort and whimpering, not at all acting like he would fight back. Very submissive little thing.

"Raphael!" Came their sensei's scolding voice, and Raph begrudgingly backed off. Now, it's not like he was a total jerk to Donnie, or that he really hated him, he just had a no-nonsense attitude.

"Raph, what is wrong with you? You're scaring him!" April cried incredulously, slowly walking over to the crying turtle and carefully placing a hand on his arm, getting past his expectant flinch and leading him out into the main room, coaxing him onto the couch. His face was pale and his eyes were turning almost glassy, and he was looking anywhere but her.

"Hon, you alright? Ignore Raph, he's a jerk. Let's start over, alright? I'm April, your best friend." She felt weird that this was the second time she had introduced herself to him that day. Honestly, she just wanted to go to her makeshift room, curl up, and forget this whole day.

"W-William." He shakily supplied. She smiled brightly, but in reality that smile was hiding a grimace of worry.

"Nice to meet you, Will. So, what were you going to say earlier?" She inquired. He ducked his head shyly, shaking his head.

"Nothing." He insisted. A large yawn escaped his mouth, and his limbs seemed very weak. His eyelids were drooping, and every few moments he would drop his head, only to startle back to consciousness moments later with a sheepish wince. As much as she wanted to question the _heck_ out of him, she was not cruel. She looped her arm in his and easily led him to his room, making him lie on the mattress. Her sleepiness was catching up with her as well, and a glance at the clock confirmed that it was indeed daytime. Time to sleep.

"This is your room, and I'll be in mine which is just down the hall. I promise to have them leave you alone. Now go to sleep, William." And she began walking off.

"A-April?" The tiny voice stopped her in her tracks with an exasperated sigh. Honestly, she just wanted to sleep right now.

"Yes?"

"P-please do-don't leave me." It was a simple request, yet she could tell it meant much more to him than it sounded. Sighing once again, she ran and grabbed a blanket off the couch and threw it up onto the top bunk.

"Alright, alright. I'll stay. Now, go to sleep, Will." She commanded softly, placing a gentle kiss on his temple before climbing up the rungs of the ladder and burrowing into the soft blankets and Donnie's usual pillow. A slight indentation could be detected from his shell, since he slept on his back a lot. A thought peeking into her sleep-moddled brain, she leaned down over the railing and watched as 'William' quickly fell into a light slumber on his side, curled around a large pillow, in an almost fetal position once again. His breaths were quick and shallow, and several times he would kick his leg and whimper. He really was a scientific enigma.

All she really wanted was her Donnie back. Awkward, intelligent, curious, adorable Donnie. Not zany, crazy flirtatious Yakko, not fearful, shy William.

It was with these thoughts that she finally drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Might be a little rushed, my apologies. William is my OC personality, and he's meant to be the fearful and delicate one. Don't worry, more is soon to come!


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! You guys truly inspire me!

More William cuteness ahead!

Any 'facts' or details about split personalities mentioned are most likely not true.

Disclaimer: Not mine, 'cept for Will

Chapter Three

When April first awoke, it was to a light headache. Wincing, she sat up and took in her surroundings, spanning from Donnie's blinking computer, to the bo staff hanging from hooks in the wall, to the unfixed microwave... to a large pair of russet eyes staring at her from behind the railing.

"Gah!" She cried, startled by his unexpected appearance. The olive turtle flinched away from the noise, covering his ears while muttering multiple apologies. Panting, she leaned over the metal rail to get a view of the bottom bunk, onto which he had disappeared.

The upside-down image of William sitting criss-cross applesauce on the old mattress, hands in his lap, a curious and reading expression on his face, was what greeted her.

"Hey, Will, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." She amended, the lack of a fearful expression on his face encouraging her. He crawled forward cautiously, reaching out a hesitant hand and batting once at her hanging hair. She laughed, and that seemed to strengthen his courage. He ran his large hand through the soft ginger locks, rubbing it between fingers and gently tugging.

To April, he greatly resembled a curious child.

The fascinated look that pulled his eyes open so wide, the slightly opened mouth; it all made him look ten years younger. He was, she daresay, cute! But the revelation confused her, because she had never thought of Donnie as cute. Her word for him was adorable, not exactly the way he looked, but how he acted around her, and how he stuck his tongue out when he was concentrating very hard on something. But William, he could move Donnie's face almost completely differently and hold it in different ways, making him just radiate innocence, and he truly looked cute!

His gaze darted to her face and back to her hair in less than a second.

"Whatr'ya remembering?" He asked casually, almost distractedly, still studying her hair intensely. Now he was hefting a few strands in one hand, bouncing it slightly to measure its weight. The question caught her by surprise, and she stared at him as his eyes once again flicked to her momentarily and back.

"Oh, me." He said simply. Alright, this was starting to get creepy.

She rested her chin on the cold metal railing and allowed him to keep playing with her hair. She continued to watch him, though.

"How did you do that?" She inquired, with honest curiosity. He seemed to pick up on it, and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"It's amazing." She praised, and this seemed to catch him off guard. He released her hair and raised his eyes to meet hers, though she could faintly see them very quickly scanning over her face.

"You mean it." He deduced. She nodded encouragingly.

"I just, kinda know what you're thinking and feeling when I look at your face. Like earlier, your eyes were going off to the right, which means you're remembering. Then I knew you were remembering something about me cos you kept watching me but with a fond look." She was stunned. While Donnie sometimes had a hard time picking up on facial clues (making him more adorably awkward), William seemed to be a natural pro at it!

"That's really cool! So, can you tell what other emotions I'm feeling? Like, the more hidden ones?" She made sure to fill her voice with as much curiosity as she could.

He scanned her whole face quickly yet carefully, taking in every twitch of a muscle, every raise of the eyebrows, every upside-down movement of her mouth. She studied him very hard as he did his thing.

"You're concerned." Still gently gripping her hair, he cocked his head to the side. "And frightened... although... you're not quite sure what of. And angry." His gaze turned hard momentarily as he searched her face in detail, desperately looking for something. After a moment, he relaxed.

"Raph. Yep, you're not angry at me, you're angry at that Raph guy. Is he my brother? Yes, okay,... is he my younger brother? No? Okay, older then. Is that orange guy older too? Sure, younger brother, got it. And then Blue is... old_est_? Oh, spot on!" This whole conversation was one-sided, as she didn't respond to any of his questions. He never gave her the time to. He watched her face rather casually as he asked questions, then weaned his own answers out of her reactions. It was truly amazing for her to witness.

"Wow... that was... I mean, you're..!" She spluttered. Being groggy and headache-y wasn't helping her take stuff in. Plus, being partially upside-down was hurting her brain. He seemed to be oblivious to her now, once again messing with her red hair, appearing genuinely fascinated with it.

He gave an experimental tug on a single hair, and April tried her hardest to ignore the momentary pain.

"Ooh, sorry, didn't think it would hurt you!" He exclaimed, retreating back into his figurative shell. He dropped her hair and sat back on his bum. She had barely noticed how, over the past few minutes, he had really blossomed.

"It's alright, it only hurt for a minute. See? I'm fine." April amended, leaning further over the rail in an attempt to see him. She barely had time to think about how stupid an idea this was, however, before she was falling head-first towards the concrete.

She let out a startled cry, and waited for impact.

"Woah!" Came the not-so-timid voice, and she opened her eyes to see- to her great relief- the grinning green face belonging to D- no, William. She sagged in giddy relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! Thanks, Will!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him from her position in his protective arms. He had caught her once again, and that act was so Donnie, it made her eyes tear up in hope and grief.

"No prob missy! But, uh," He sounded confused. She pulled back from his stiff hug incredulously, hoping this wasn't happening again. But alas, his face was totally befuddled, and his posture and facial muscles made him a completely different guy. In fact, she realized with a start as she jumped from his arms, he resembled Donnie quite a bit.

"D-Donnie?" She stuttered, probably too hopeful. But to her utter dismay, he shook his head with a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, Donnie's out right now. I'm Robert." He introduced, kissing her cheek in a friendly way.

She was too frazzled to notice.

"Wait wait wait! You _know _Donatello, but you're _not _Donatello?" She shrieked, covering her face with her hands. 'This is getting out of hand!' She thought to herself.

"Hey, Ape? What's going on in here?" Came Raph's sheepish voice. He seemed truly ashamed of his actions the previous day. She ran to him without thinking, grabbing his large bicep and tugging him towards Robert.

"Raph, he changed again!" She cried, so confused and hurt. His tough-guy face softened at her, and he studied his brother up and down, while Rob just smiled apologetically. He rocked back and forth from foot to foot awkwardly, not knowing how to explain himself.

"Listen April, I know I'm not who you want to see. I know you miss Donnie. But I came out to help you shed a little light on the situation." Rob soothed. April raised a confused brow.

"Just what do you know about Donnie?" Raph demanded, taking a threatening step forward. Robert raised his hands calculatingly.

"I know your brother's problem. And I am the only one who can tell you because _I'm the only one who knows._" He implored. April poked his plastron.

"Then tell me right now. What's going on?"

"I am one of many... eh, _personalities _that Donatello now has. Each of us is different than the others, a completely unique being. We take turns through cycles as to who has control of this body. Since each person with this condition has a unique cycle, I am assuming you have already met Yakko and William, am I right?"

"Yeah. It was torture."

"_Raph."_

"Anyways, I am the 'Voice', as they call me, because I am the only one who is aware of all the other personalities. Even Donatello doesn't know." By now the remaining two turtles had wandered in for Robert's speech, and Leo was glaring at him. April snapped her fingers suddenly, gasping in realization.

"You, you mean he has a split personality?" She asked the tallest turtle, and he nodded thoughtfully. She put a hand to her chin. Internally, she was scolding herself for not thinking of it sooner. The signs were so obvious, and yet again she had failed Donnie through the simplest of tasks.

"Yes, I suppose that's what some people may call it." Rob said. "Anyways, I am the central intelligence, so to speak, so I know everything the others know. And using Donatello's brainpower, I can deduce for you what happened. The chemicals injected into hi- _our_ bloodstream went straight to his brain, and entered several lobes simultaneously. I don't know what the Kraang are needing this for, but I theorize that they are testing a new weapon of some sort. Normally, this compound would probably split the person into maybe three personalities, but they overestimated your brother's dose, causing his brain to become overwhelmed and split into _six,_ as a unique defense mechanism to help process the chemical. While Donatello is the main personality, each of us has a special role and/or contribution to our body."

After finishing his explanation, Robert stood with his arms crossed, letting the small group take in what he had said. Raphael growled angrily at the turtle, Leo stood silently, Mikey was tearing up, and April was fighting to keep her emotions and curiosity in check.

Finally, Raph stepped forward, wordlessly dubbing himself the spokesperson of the group.

"Whaddaya mean, **six**?" Robert shuffled in a flustered way, piecing the responses together in his head.

"Well, let's see. There's Donatello (who I'm not counting), me, um, Yakko, then there's William," he listed, looking off to the side and counting on all six of his fingers, "oh- and Jack, um, Pinky, and Beau."

"Bo?" Leo inquired, cocking an eyeridge.

"Not the weapon that Donatello wields, no. B-E-A-U. He's the protector, and he doesn't talk. At all."

"Why not?" Rob smiled slightly.

"Because he doesn't need to. He only emerges if the Body is in serious danger that none of us others can handle. He's literally all fight and no talk. I don't think he knows how, actually."

"Wait, can you 'others' fight too? Can you use a bo?" April asked. The purple clad turtle seemed to think for a moment, putting a hand to his head and closing his eyes, sometimes jerking his head left or right, like he was zooming through some mental map.

"Let's see," he said, turning his head to the right, "I know bojitsu through Donatello, Jack can use a gun, William can use a dagger but is very reluctant to do so, Yakko is more acrobatic and can also use any throwing weapons, and Pinky is really more ditzy and tends to follow behind more often than fight for himself." Mikey seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Seems you all can take care of yourselves. So what can Beau do, then, that's so much better?"

"Well, he- after his emerging- can wield any variety of katana, dagger, knife, or basically any sword. He can use yari, kamas, shuriken, he is trained in axes and scythes, he knows hand-to-hand combat, karate, ninjitsu, he does handle the bo staff and naginata well, he can use nunchuku, sais, and tanto, he is knowledgeable in anatomy and knows the pressure points and weak spots of human bodies, as well as several mutants; he can box, wrestle and throw objects twice his weight, can make armor and weapons out of random items in the midst of combat, and has a very-" he shivered slightly, "- aggressive and merciless attitude. He can- and will- kill, as well."

Now, even Raph couldn't help looking impressed.

"Sounds like a cool guy," he said, smirking, "when do we get to meet 'im?" Rob's face turned dark.

"Raphael, believe me, you do not want to 'meet him'. If you ever do, it will be in the worst possible situation, in the worst possible place, and he _will not_ know friend from foe. If you so much as touch him, he may chop your hand off without a second thought. He only emerges when the Body is in grave danger with no other alternatives. And, when he's in battle mode, whoo-wee! You do _not _want to get in his way. _The Shredder_ does not want to get in his way. So believe me Raphael- because I know you better than you think- you don't even want to _imagine _bringing him out." By now he was right in front of a freaked-looking Raph, his face menacing. His hot breath whistled through the gap in his teeth and made Raph's skin crawl.

"Kay, got it. Don't go near Beau." He sassed, pushing the tallest terrapin away. Rob huffed, but turned to Leo.

"Any more questions before I go?"

"What? Go where?" April asked.

"You see, since I am the Voice, I can switch to whichever personality I choose. I assumed you wanted Donnie back."

"Oh yes!"

"So, any last questions?" Leo looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What causes the switches?" Robert looked happy to have a more difficult question to answer.

"Our Body has a unique cycle, where we go through each personality in turn. Beau is the only exception, since he isn't technically in the cycle and only comes out in danger; and me, since I can choose who I trade places with. Whenever the Body is under heavy stress or gets a serious scare, the brain kicks into overdrive and since the serum has affected several parts of the brain- the fear center especially- it causes us to move to whoever is next in the cycle. It could, I guess, be considered a fight-or-flight thing." The teens seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"What happens to all the other personalities when one is active?"

"When another one is awake, the rest of us go dormant."

"Oh, that would explain why Splinter thought Donnie was asleep!" April exclaimed. Her blood ran cold. "Oh my gosh! What do we tell Splinter? Rob, do you think you could-"

She stopped mid-sentence at the sight of the olive green turtle slumped where he stood. His head was down, shoulders relaxed, and they could vaguely see his eyelids twitching. His head shook a little.

"Oh no! He's doing it again!" Mikey cried, sounding scared. April and Leo exchanged concerned glances. Then the turtle straightened up, and Donatello blinked his bleary eyes.

"Ermgrgh... guys?" He moaned, sounding exhausted. Raph reached out a hand to place on the genius's shoulder.

"No, don't!" Mikey cried, but was ignored.

Donnie looked at Raph carefully in response to the contact.

"Wha- what happened?" He asked.

There was a collective gulp throughout the room.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I should probably say this now before I forget: Updates may be slower than with my other stories. This one takes more research and planning. Sorry for the inconvenience!**

**Does Beau sound bad-buns or what? The whole 'protector' thing is something I got from Lie To Me, a pretty awesome show on Netflix. Check it out!**

**Thanks, and R&R!**

**-Bo**


	4. Chapter 4

Alright guys, sorry for the delay in updates! I hope this meets your expectations!

Chapter Four

"Seriously guys, what the heck?" Donatello demanded, waving his arms wildly. Mikey, avoiding the flailing limbs, placed a hand on his older brother's shoulder. Ignoring Leo's and April's 'stop!' motions, he said:

"Bro, you have a banana split for a personality. There're like, six of 'em, and you don't even know it! Dude, that's so weird! 's like, someone else is controlling your body, makin' you say things you shouldn't and getting you in trouble and partying, and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it! Ha! How banaynays is that? Donnie? Bro?"

Don sat there. And stared. Raph and Leo exchanged worried looks.

"Donatello? You alright? It _is _Donnie, right?" Leonardo asked, stepping forward. Donnie's eyes snapped to the blue-clad turtle, and his face morphed into a glare.

"Did you seriously just ask me if I was me?! What the heck Leo? What is wrong with everybody today?" He cried, shaking his head. "And what's a banana split have to do with my personality?" He added as an afterthought, crossing his arms. Mikey smiled sheepishly under his brother's scrutiny.

"Well, I meant that you, ay-uh, you gotta..." He suddenly was reluctant to elaborate.

"What Mikey here meant to say," Raph interjected, bopping the youngest upside the head, "is that you got a... a" And then his angry face softened, and he too found himself stuttering out a reluctant explanation.

"Youhaveasplitpersonality." He mumbled, looking away from the tallest turtle sibling. Donnie stared at him, a grin breaking across his face.

"Oh, I see what's going on here." He said with a chuckle. Leo looked up at him, incredulous.

"Y-You do?" Donnie shrugged, relaxed.

"Yeah."

"A-and you're okay with it?" April asked. He chuckled again, closing his eyes and crossing his arms behind his head.

"Yep." He walked over to the sofa, flipping over the back and landing with a _squeak _from the springs, a pillow bouncing up from his impact and flopping on his plastron. The others followed him cautiously, sharing confused glances.

"Donnie?" April said quietly. He opened one eye and stared at her.

"Why are you so... so... relaxed?" She asked.

"Because I know what you guys are up to." She recoiled slightly, frustrated.

"No! It's true!" Raphael cried, an insistent ring to his voice. His green eyes were set in determination. Donnie opened both eyes now, searching them each for untruth.

April couldn't help but be reminded of William, his wide eyes taking every manipulator and twitch into account, his great intelligence and deductive reasoning shining behind them. She knew it sounded ridiculous, and traitorous, and slightly mean- but she actually kind of missed little Will. Crazy, right?

_Right?_

"Wait- you're serious?!" Donnie burst from the couch with sudden energy, something he did often; he would sit on the couch, doing whatever with his siblings, and suddenly an idea would strike him, and he'd be up and zooming around as if he wasn't totally lethargic twenty seconds before.

He was on his feet in a moment, getting so close into Raphael's space that it was making the older step away. To which Donatello would respond by taking two steps closer. He stared intently into his brother's eyes, scanning the eyeballs themselves, the creases in the skin around them, and the pupil activity.

Mikey took a step closer, patting his purple-clad brother's shell playfully, thereby breaking Donnie's intense focus on Raph and successfully saving the hothead. April and Leo soon followed suit, placing their hands on either side of the tough carapiece whilst the turtle sat there, shoulders hunched as he thought at light speed, totally ignoring them. Raph shrugged and walked away, plopping thoughtfully on the sofa.

April was blown away at how intricate his shell really was- she had only caught glimpses of it when she really tried focusing on it; other times she was just too caught up in whatever crazy crisis the day had brought her.

Each scute was hard and weathered, but not enough to conceal the intricate swirling and complex patterning. The keratin was rough to the touch, bumpy and almost jagged in places. She also noticed how Leo could run his large hand over the maze of ridges just fine, his scaled skin probably making it less painful. She gently traced a particularly complicated patterned scute. She barely noticed how Donatello stiffened at her touch.

"Ahem." The eldest coughed pointedly, startling April out of her thoughts with a blush. Leo raised an eyeridge with a smirk, mouthed 'He can feel that', and walked away. Mikey smiled and waggled his eyeridges with a goofy face, and used a smoke bomb to leave the room.

The olive turtle started, jumping and placing a hand over his heart in honest shock. He looked as though trying very hard to suppress something or other.

"So, I, um, have a-uh, split-" Donnie started, but she interrupted him hurriedly with a "yeah."

His gaze fell worriedly, a trace of fear behind his eyes. She rubbed her sleeve nervously, while he picked distractedly at his wrist wrappings.

"Who- I mean, what... are their names? What are they like? I'm not a partial tool, am I?" He asked, trying halfheartedly to get a laugh from his crush. She smiled slightly, tucking a piece of stray hair from her face.

"Yeah, uh, there are six of them. We've only met three so far."

And so, she spent the rest of the afternoon explaining everything they had learned over the past day. He watched her with genuine emotions bubbling to the surface, every once and a while gulping as though keeping something down. He would interrupt with a question here and there, his eyes would widen at some points, and he would point out certain clues they had missed.

"Wh-why did this have to happen to me? Why can't I just be me?" He lamented suddenly, covering his face with his knees from his position on his bum on the floor in the main room. April reached out a small hand and rested it gently on his shell's edge, carefully rubbing with her fingers. But once again, he stiffened and turned to look at her, breathing heavily as if he had just gotten a scare. Then she remembered Leo's earlier comment.

"Why'd you touch my shell like that?"

"Oh, uh, I forgot you could feel that." She blushed alongside him.

"I see." She let her curiosity take hold for a moment.

"How can you feel that? Wouldn't it be like touching a suit of armor?" He put his hand to his chin for a moment, trying to think of an answer that she would understand.

"Well, our shells are made of keratin, the same thing your fingernails are made of. So to us, it feels like being touched on your fingernail would. Our shells are attached to our spines, too, so there are nerves throughout. Thankfully, though, they still are a sort of armor, very hard and thick, to protect us."

"Wow. Yet another human feature to add to the list!" She said, ignoring his sheepish look. "Seriously, with all these similar traits, it's hard to believe you're not human! The only difference is appearance."

Donnie seemed to think on this for a moment.

"Yeah, I-"

"HEY DUDES!" Mikey shouted. He had popped right between them on the floor, remnants of purple smoke dissipating around him.

"AHH!" Donatello screamed, falling backwards as his younger brother laughed hysterically.

"I totally got you guys!" He exclaimed. Donnie clutched his chest furiously, panting and clenching his eyes shut.

"D? Are you alright?" April inquired, crawling closer. The turtle sat up slowly, clutching his head and moaning, before opening his eyes. Mikey crouched next to him, a worried expression on his babyish face.

"M-Mi-" Was all Donatello got out before his heavy breathing overtook him, and his eyes rolled back in his head, and his whole upper body began to shake.

"Donnie!" Mikey shrieked, bringing his protective oldest brothers running, Raph immediately kneeling in front of his immediate younger brother.

The terrapin's eyelids fluttered slightly, then closed.

And then shot open with a shout.

"BRAIN? BRAIN! WHERE ARE YOU?" He screamed.

**Sorry for the shortie. I also apologize if this seems a little distracted, I was typing this while also listening to Shadows by Lindsey Stirling. Great song, I highly recommend.**

**See ya'll later!**

**-Violet**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to give a special thanks to Vanessa! I would have PMed you, but since I can't, I did it on here! You reviews have helped me so much, and your encouragement has helped keep me going!**

**This one was a bit more difficult to write, since I know a bit less about Pinky than the others. Wish me luck!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or other alluded shows and characters.**

**Chapter Five**

"Brain? Brain! Narf." Once-Again-Not-Donnie cried. He stuck his front teeth out exaggeratedly, and stood up with a hunched back and 'T-Rex arms'. The others scrambled to surround him before he could walk away, and he looked at them each rather stupidly. His eyes landed on Leo.

"Oh Brain! I've found you!" He exclaimed, scooping his older brother into a big hug, lifting him off the ground. His speech was, in Raph's opinion, very annoying, as the pitch was a few octaves too high and his slight British accent was muffled by his overbite. Leo looked to April for help with wide, confused eyes as the taller boy didn't seem too eager to put him back down.

"Ah, excuse me? You're squishing him." She said, patting the olive turtle's shoulder. He opened his eyes and watched her with mild curiosity, dropping the leader, forgotten, and focusing on the redhead in front of him.

"'oo are you? Narf." He asked, waddling over.

"I'm April. And you are?" She responded. The purple-clad turtle backed up till he was right in front of Leo, whispering back to him, "Brain, should I tell her? Narf." Leo jumped, eying his younger brother in befuddlement before deciding to play along.

"Uh, yeah, I-uh, Brain- think it's okay to tell her. Uh, yeah."

"Okey-dokey, Brain! Whatevah you say!" He bounced over to April again, saying brightly, "I'm Pinky!"

"Um, nice to meet you... Pinky." Raph stepped forward with a smirk on his face.

"Really? You think _Leo_ is _Brain? _Oh, the irony." Leo, a growl emerging from between his clenched teeth, charged at his younger brother, who happily sidestepped him- sending him headfirst into the wall.

"Brain? Narf. BRAIN! Where are you?" Pinky cried.

"Ugh, this is going to be a long day." Raph moaned.

_Alert! Alert! _Cried a monotone female voice as red lights flashed. Everyone looked up from their various activities and ran to the lab.

"Donnie? Can you-" Leo asked, but a glance at the terrified face of Pinky stopped him mid-sentence.

"Er- how do you stop this thing?" He cried, punching his fist on Donnie's keyboard. April shoved him aside, typing several things into the rickety old computer and bringing up a map of the city, where several red dots congregated at the edge of the screen.

"Foot break-in at the weapons warehouse on Fifth!"

"Let's go!" Raph announced jovially, twirling his sai and placing them in his belt. Mikey's hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

"What about _inky-pay? Is he oming-cay ith-way?" _He whispered. Raph and Leo shared a look, but April's insistence to leave influenced them to nod.

"Pinky, come on!" Said turtle looked at him in shock.

"Muy? Narf."

"Yep, come on, we gotta go!"

**Sorry, but this one's a shortie. I've been busy lately, so updates will be short and sweet.**

**-Bo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Oh my! It's been what, two weeks? Sorry for the delay!

Chapter Six

"Ape, when can we go _in_?"

"Mikey, _some_one needs to do surveillance!"

"Ugh, but why does _Pinky_ get to go in? He's a dipstick!" By now, April was pressing a finger to the bridge of her nose, trying to get past her companion's incessant whining.

Yes, Mikey was right to be annoyed. Upon arriving at the weapons warehouse- a dark, cold building with shattered windows and a haunted feel to it- they had immediately split into groups; Raph and Leo would neutralize the Foot threat, and April, Mikey and Pinky would stay on the roof opposite 'to watch their backs'. What they left unsaid was the 'and babysit the mentally challenged derp', but April got the picture crystal-clear. But as soon as Pinky saw Leo making to leave, he cried out and latched onto his older brother's leg, whimpering and whining until they gave in and agreed to take him with.

So far, nothing was happening outside. Only the occasional electronic wail made its way to their ears, but other than that, nothing.

"Michelangelo! Stop your groaning and pay attention!" April finally snapped.

Mikey looked like a kicked puppy, but nodded anyway with a pout and joined her on the ledge.

They sat in silence for a long time, and April was pleasantly surprised at how quiet and calm the youngest turtle could be. He didn't fidget, didn't zone out, he just sat there with a very focused expression.

While the other three tended to take Michelangelo for granted often, April often noticed how he could be very observant and wise. She wondered sometimes if the happy-go-lucky turtle was just an act, if underneath he was something much more complicated.

"You know, when me and Yakko were hanging out earlier, I... I just felt so... important. I felt like someone was finally taking time to do something _I _enjoyed for once. I mean, I always have had to go the extra mile just to get some attention. And then..." Mikey let out a heavy sigh. "Nevermind." He said dejectedly, keeping his eyes firmly on a young man walking his poodle and anywhere but her.

April was stunned, to say the least. Mikey sounded like he was genuinely upset- not an attitude common for him. But there it was again, everyone- including April herself- had taken Mikey's clueless jolliness for granted. She was ashamed in herself for being so surprised that the boy really did have character depth, when she should have known that he had more than most.

"No, no! Mikey, I'm here for you! I'm your best friend, and you can tell me anything!" She insisted.

He looked hesitant for a moment, his watery eyes gazing up at her pitifully. When she was sure that he was about to talk, April swept her eyes over the scene below them before turning to face him, confident that there was no approaching danger.

"Well," Mikey started, leaning closer to her until their foreheads almost bumped, "my brothers have always been _busy_. There's no other word for it. Leo has always focused on spirituality and training. I can sometimes spar with him, but he can never work himself up enough to be as energetic as me, and that takes the fun out of it. He refuses to do anything too extreme, and other than skateboarding or the occasional video gaming, I don't really get to _enjoy_ time with him. And when I _do_ manage to convince him to join me in some kind of game, I never get the feeling that he's having _fun_. So I usually try to do more things that he likes, because then at least I don't feel bad about making him uncomfortable. I'll join his reading or meditation, but I just can't get into it.

Raph is more easily persuaded to do things I like, but he always takes it too far. When we play Xbox or Wii or even pinball, he gets _uber _competitive and I often end up with bruises. I'm too scared to spar with him most of the time, and he doesn't like to draw or read the comic books I like. So I usually do the things he likes, like punching the dummy or wrestling. I don't really like being _that _rough, though." He said, wrinkling his beak in disgust.

"And Donnie- he... isn't really on the same _level _as me. He doesn't enjoy anything that involves any form of violence (even just playing), and he spends much more time _fixing _our video games than actually playing them. Although he does sometimes make an effort to hang out with me, I can't help feeling that he thinks my hobbies are too dull or not challenging enough, and that really takes the good out of it for me. When I try to help him in the lab, he either forgets I'm there and leaves me to sit in the corner, or kicks me out. But hey, I still stay happy through it all, and I suppose that's one of the main reasons they put up with me." He shrugged.

"Mikey, they don't 'put up with you'! They love you very much, and are very protective of you!" She corrected, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"If you feel this way, why don't you tell them? Why are you so happy?" He smiled at her, but not his usual goofy grin, more of a sad, serious smile.

"Because if life was all good things and easy fixes all the time, you'd become bitter and upset all the time. Sometimes bad things are good for you. They make you stronger and make you work through it. If you go through life with a smile and your head held high, then nothing can break you!" He exclaimed, standing and raising his hands in the air. This elicited a laugh from the ginger. Finally he plopped back down, thinking kind of distractedly as he watched a pair of little boys race each other down the sidewalk, laughing and playfully taunting all the way.

The way he watched them go, with such longing in his eyes, made her want to scoop him up and hug him.

"And then Yakko came. He liked something I did! He was similar to me! And even though it might sound wrong, I enjoyed his company better than I've enjoyed doing things with the others, because he actually seemed to care!"

It occurred to April that she had experienced somewhat-similar feelings towards William, but certainly not preference over the others. Although she assumed that Donnie might be upset about it, there was no cure for a split personality. After it's done, the only thing you can do is lessen the symptoms slightly with medication. And there was no way they could regularly get any type of drug for it, let alone be sure which kind would be right for their brother; in fact, the medicine may have a different effect on a mutant turtle. In other words, they were stuck with the many versions of Donnie, whether they liked it or not.

She rubbed his shell soothingly. "Mikey, you're not a bad person for wanting some attention now and then! I'm glad that you enjoy spending time with Yakko. Especially since there's no way to get rid of him! Just remember that even though you're all different, your brothers would do anything for you. They love you." This time, he looked up at her with hope and gratitude in his baby blues.

"Thanks, April." She hugged him tightly, releasing him moments later with a reassuring smile. She scanned the streets again, somewhat surprised that the guys were still in the warehouse, and that there were no suspicious-looking vehicles to signify anything wrong. The sunset-lit street was empty save for an old woman sweeping her front steps and a woman pushing a stroller with a small infant- wrapped up tightly- inside.

"Hey Mikey?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you let the others go on thinking that you're dumb? I mean, you're incredibly smart, and yet you let them bully you and call you stupid and ignore you. Why?" Mikey shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Because... Because they need me to be. I am what they need me to be." She frowned, pushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. Seeing her confusion, he continued.

"Look, they all need different things. Raph needs someone to vent his anger on, or it could be the death of him in battle. So, I make myself vulnerable, make stupid comments, and act frustratingly to help him release energy and pent-up rage. Have you noticed that whenever I do that stuff, he's always the one to retaliate? I think it's because, deep down, he's just eager to get rid of the negative feelings, and lets himself take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself. I do it to keep him from taking it out on Leo or Donnie, since they both have quite the temper as well. I do it to keep them from tearing each other- and our family- apart. Sure, it hurts sometimes when he calls me names or hits me, and I know it's not what people are generally supposed to do, but it helps. And just seeing how calm it makes him later on is more than enough repayment for me. And between you and me-" he whispered, leaning in closer with a conspiratorial look, "-he doesn't hit nearly as hard as it looks. I let him think he's got a better arm than he really does, so if I start bawling, don't worry." He winked at her playfully, but she was too wrapped up in his speech to care.

"Anyway, then there's Leo. He acts like he's too mature to let loose and be crazy every once and a while. The closest he gets is when we play special training games or go skateboarding or watch his favorite TV shows. So, I act all crazy and zany to encourage him to do the same. In the same way, deep down a part of him wants to have fun, and so he takes advantage of the opportunity to chase me around or watch a comedy with me whenever he knows he needs it. And since he's too 'mature' to ask anybody for any type of help- kind of like Raph- I do it so that he doesn't feel too dependent or needy, and then the others can't make fun of him for it.

And then last but not least, there's Donnie. That dude is incredibly insecure, believe it or not. When we were little, and he set up our heating systems and AC, our TV, video games and running water and electricity, he still had so many doubts about his intelligence. He had never had anybody other than us to compare himself with, to see if he really was unique among others his age. So, he used the facts he had against himself, because he also has very low self-confidence sometimes. He thought that since he was the last of us to walk, talk, and master certain fighting styles, he was dumber than us. I was the first to walk, Leo was the first to talk, and Raph was the first to master beginner's throwing stars. I could tell he felt bad about it. And then!- Oh my gosh, then there was the whole TV thing! Our first TV had maybe, like, three channels, and two of them were Sci-Fi and the really smart game shows (don't give me that look, to three-year-olds, yes there are some _smart_ game shows). And so that was what he compared himself to, and he hated himself further! I knew he needed someone who he could obviously outsmart. So, I kept most literate and 'smart' opinions and comments to myself. Now, I didn't measure up to his intelligence (_One hundred and fricken' seventy-nine IQ_!) in the first place, but when I audibly dumbed myself down a bit, it did amazing things to his self-respect! Even though he's much more sure of himself now, I keep up the act just in case, and to see the happiness in his eyes- he practically glows when he builds something new _and then _gets to explain it to someone!

Actually, now that I think about it, I get the feeling that Donnie knows what I'm doing... like that one time..." He drifted off, mumbling to himself.

Meanwhile, in April's mind:

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! ..._OH MY GOSH!_

Mikey's so smart and compassionate and oh my gosh! How could I not have seen? I'm supposed to be the one with the 'special senses', and I can't even tell when the turtle sitting right next to me is putting on a whole lifetime-long act!

"Mikey, you are probably the best little brother on the planet!" He blushed slightly, a smile worming its way onto his face.

"Promise you won't tell the others?" April could only nod.

The next thing she knew, she was in a hug tighter than any she could ever give.

"Thanks, April." He murmured against her shoulder. She smiled.

"Okay, ca-"

"RUN! STOP HUGGING AND RUN!" Came Raph's terrified- wait, _what_ was the adjective again?- shout. April and Michelangelo split apart with a jump, to almost be flattened by two fleeing turtles, both dirty and sweaty and out of breath. Leo grabbed Mikey by the arm, dragging him as fast as he could in the opposite direction, and Raph picked up April so that she didn't get left behind. The warehouse behind them exploded then, glass spraying everywhere and flames licking the darkness of the night sky far above.

"Raph! What the heck is going on? Where's Donnie?" April shouted above all the clamor. Raph just hiked her up into a more comfortable position on his shell. As he ran from roof to roof, she bounced uncomfortably until the group came to a sudden, sharp stop. April jumped down from his back, walking ahead a little until she was behind Mikey and Leo, who each put up a protective arm to barrier her against something ahead. Leo slowly, cautiously drew his remaining katana, and Raph (also mysteriously missing a weapon or two) brought up his fists. Mikey remained still. She stood on her tippietoes to see what they were so afraid of.

And immediately wished she hadn't.

Mere feet away, on the roof of the building in front of them, stood a figure. A figure who was familiar and yet intimidating and strange at the same time. His green skin was covered in grime and grease, his purple bandana tails were torn and ragged, his mouth was open in a threatening snarl and his shell lacked a familiar bo staff. Instead, in his hands was a katana, his belt held two sai, the blade from his naginata was held to his skin by his wrist wrappings, apparently for hand to hand combat, a small gun was held in the wrappings on his left foot, a tomahawk was in the right foot wrappings, and at least five throwing knives were protruding from his belt pocket. Well, he _had _just been in a weapons warehouse... But the most threatening part of this picture was the defensive position the turtle was in, coupled with the white-eyed stare. His third eyelids were up, and his all-seeing blank stare was haunting. April had never given thought to how their enemies felt when the turtles looked at them this way, but she could now say with 100% certainty that she never wanted to be on the receiving end of that glare ever again.

"G-guys? What's wrong with Donnie?" She stuttered, truly afraid.

"That's... not Donnie, Ape." Mikey said, his voice strangely calm. One again he was showing his observant, intelligent side, and everyone was too terrified to care. He seemed to have pieced something together, and April hated feeling like she was missing something. She turned to look at the side of Leo's face, which was pulled into a dark frown.

Leo's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"That's Beau."

**Dun dun dunnn! I had lots of fun writing this chapter! **

**I was going over this story earlier when I realized that it was way too focused on Donnie. I thought, 'I'll make this chapter about Mikey. Why not?' I hope you enjoyed my perspective on Mikey!**

**Next time: The mission from the first group's POV. AKA: What happened in the warehouse while April and Mikey were having a therapy session.**

**R&R!**

**-Violet**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

[Meanwhile, in the warehouse]

In the darkness of the old warehouse, it took all of Raphael's focus and eye-straining abilities to see the silent hand signals Leonardo was giving. And his additional- and equally straining- task of watching Pinky definitely wasn't helping any.

The large building was in shambles. Several windows were broken and boarded, many padlocks were snapped, and the chain-link fence surrounding it was missing several links. The only light came from the dusty windows, where vague rays of moonlight danced through. In the places that weren't lit with the bluish glow, shadows dominated. Every crate, every mouse, every dead machine- all of it held the deadly appearance of something from one of Mikey's comic books. Dust and rat feces were the overlying scents, making the turtles crinkle their beaks in disgust and the effort of trying not to sneeze.

Before they had gone in through the back garage door, Leo had taken the time to explain the terms and conditions of Pinky accompanying them. He had repeatedly gone through each rule, making Pinky repeat them back to him until he was satisfied that the ADHD personality had them down. They mainly revolved around the subjects of staying as close as possible to them, not making a single noise, and not touching anything.

Now, as he stood between the two eldest siblings, Pinky had to keep biting his lip with his stuck-out front tooth (if not for his diastema, he would have looked so much more like a giant mouse and not some hillbilly with a dental problem) and covering his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing at some invisible provocation. Raph rolled his eyes as yet another silent giggle left his younger brother.

As they rounded another stack of crates, Leo held up a hand to signal 'stop', which Raph just barely caught. The eldest warily peeked his head around the impending corner, jerking his head back and making more vague hand signals, saying silently, '9 o'clock and five. I take doubles right, you take doubles left.' He then tapped Pinky on the shoulder, pressed him against the crate, and motioned for him to stay put.

Smirking and twirling his sais, Raphael jumped noiselessly onto the taller stack of crates behind them, sneaking around the inside of the walls and catching the two foot bots from behind. Leo, on the other side of a large wall of boxes, tackled the remaining two to the ground, slicing off their heads in one swift motion. He too smirked, musing internally about how horribly trained these guys were. That was almost too easy.

"E-gad, Brain! That was narf-tastic!" Pinky cried, shattering the still silence and blowing their cover. Leo face-palmed, and Raph growled in annoyance.

"Turtles! Foot-bots, attack!" Cried a feminine voice as the old fluorescent lights flickered on. The two sane turtles' eyelids slid up over their glaring eyes, and together they charged Karai's miniature army of twenty bots. Pinky, well, he just stood there jumping in excitement, flapping his hands around and cheering for the 'Brain Team'.

Raph bashed one head here, slit another faceplate there, kicked right, stabbed left, jumped, punched, and rolled, taking out many opponents.

Leo slashed, slit, chopped, and kicked another many opponents, until their numbers started to dwindle into threes and fours. Finally, panting like a dog and achy all over, Raph decapitated the last droid. He lifted his gaze to where Leo was standing shakily in the rafters, high-threeing him when the eldest landed next to him.

"Dude, are we awesome, or what?" Raph asked, ignoring the trickle of sweat dribbling down the side of his face.

"I wouldn't be celebrating so soon, turtles." The condescending voice made them stop in their tracks. It was the terrified squeal from Pinky that made them turn around to actually face the source of the voice.

There Karai stood, a tanto in her hand and the lanky turtle's neck tucked in her elbow. She held the small blade dangerously close to the teen's neck, while Pinky's bug eyes and quick breaths increased to higher levels. He frantically scrabbled to get her hands away, but that only made her squeeze tighter, and so he fell still, but with a panicked glint in his eyes. Leo stepped forward worriedly, but when Karai backed up a step and clenched her blade tighter, he stopped.

"Karai, please, let him go. Your quarrel isn't with him." He beseeched the blonde and black-haired girl. She grinned maliciously.

"Yes, it is. He is one of Splinter's disciples, therefore he must die." To further prove her point, the teenager pressed the knife into the olive turtle's neck, drawing a thin stream of blood and making Pinky clench his eyes shut.

"You let go of my brother right now or so help me-" Raph raged, his knuckles white against his sai. He was cut off by a threatening look and the knife being pushed ever-so-slightly deeper into her captive's neck. Her bright red lips were pulled into a sadistic smile.

"You know, I was surprised how easy it was to get to this one," she said, jerking Donatello's body (but not currently Donatello) up slightly to emphasize," him being a ninja and all. What's your deal all of a sudden, eh, turtle?" She asked her hostage. "I seem to remember you putting up a pretty decent fight the last time we met. All by yourself, too. Are you slipping?" She inquired mockingly. As she spoke, she began to pace around, her knife still in his neck. Pinky, in a desperate effort to avoid being killed, could only scrabble his feet, trying to find purchase on the concrete floor while having to bend backwards to make up for the height difference, following her around with tears pricking in his eyes.

Leo watched the scene below with rising anger, his blood beginning to boil. Why wasn't Beau acting out?

"So, this is how this'll work. You will drop your weapons, kick them over to me," She began, jerking her head. Raph, with the most menacing growl he could muster, slowly dropped his sais to join Leo's katanas on the floor, then they both kicked them down to the ground.

"Good. Now, inside of the crate you're standing on is a cage, which I brought just in case. Open the crate, walk quietly into the cage, and then close it behind you."

Leo considered his options. But sadly, they had to comply, or they'd be Donnieless. And Pinkyless, and Williamless, and so forth. Angrily, he jumped down to the floor, landing with a thud that made his ankles ache slightly. He looked pointedly up at his younger brother, who was pacing agitatedly. Raph looked away for a moment, clenched his fists, and jumped down too, helping his older brother pry the front off the large crate, finding a rather cliché box with bars and door with a large keyhole. The door stood slightly ajar, almost as if inviting them in. A quick glance behind them at their adopted sister, who raised her thin eyebrows and tightened her grip on their brother, and they were both inside the large metal structure. With a _clang_, Leo pulled the cell's door shut.

Karai let out a decidedly evil laugh and threw Pinky down to the ground, where he laid bonelessly. Both older turtles furrowed their brows in worry, and Raph looked to be barely containing his rage.

"Now, I'm going to start by getting rid of this one," she said, motioning to Pinky once more,"as he seems to be of no use whatsoever." With another one of her vicious grins, she knelt next to the prone form with a tanto at the ready, still bloodied from earlier.

Leo desperately wracked his brain for something, _anything_ he could do to buy Beau some time. Beside him, his brother was wrestling with the iron- steel?- bars.

"Karai, wait! Where is your honor? Slitting his throat while he's defenseless?" He cried. The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, she nodded.

"You're right. Get up, slug!" She commanded, kicking her hostage in the stomach, eliciting a pained cry and more silent tears.

"Just give _Beau _a _chance_." Leo insisted pointedly, and to his surprise, Pinky opened his eyes and had his own moment of thoughtfulness. His eyes narrowed, then widened. Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and gathered a look of intense concentration.

Karai had the grace to look confused.

"Who the heck is Beau? Are you naming your weapons now?" She sneered. "Fine, I gave you a chance to fight back, but since you refuse to take it..." She said with a fake resigned tone. Then, she knelt down, held her dagger high above her head, and brought it down with gusto.

Pinky's face, meanwhile, was still tense in deep thought. And then, it completely relaxed.

He opened his eyes- now ghostly white- and looked emotionlessly at Karai, making eye contact (or so they all assumed, since it _seemed_ like he was) with her and shooting a hand up to catch her tiny wrist, then twisting it until she cried out and dropped the knife to the ground. He then rolled out from under her, kicked her in the side- sending her flying into the cage bars- and picked up the dagger himself.

Karai's eyes widened in surprise when he charged her, and even more so when he followed her jumping from crate to crate. He got a lucky cut in, swiping her cheek and her outstretched arm, and punched her again.

Meanwhile, the two eldest turtle brothers watched the onesided fight with a mix of awe and fear. If Beau was able to get to Shredder's _daughter _without being touched himself, there was some definite skill. Raph made no attempt to hide his slight pride at watching his little brother beat the witch senseless.

The girl managed to somehow knock the blade from his hand, so he fought with fists until they came near his brothers' abandoned weapons. Placing the sai in his belt and wielding the katana with shocking efficiency, he backed her into the wall, placing the blade across her throat in a similar fashion to what she had done earlier.

"Okay, turtle, you can stop now." Leo thought he would have to die before he would ever hear Karai beg. He would have laughed... if Beau had stopped.

But he kept the blade at her throat, his eyes extremely wide and his face blank. He wasn't having any second thoughts about killing her.

"Turtle, you don't kill people!" This only seemed to make him more insistant in pressing the blade further, while she grew even more fearful.

"BEAU!" Raph screamed, gaining a ghostly stare before aforementioned turtle went back to business. But suddenly, ten foot bots surrounded him, and Beau had no choice but to release the girl to bring the sword in front of himself. Not without giving his tormentor a little nick on the other cheek, first. While the rogue terrapin was distracted, Karai leapt from the factory window, running for the vans and eager to leave.

And then Leonardo and Raphael were forced to watch their normally pacifistic baby brother tear several humanoid robots to pieces. And throughout the whole thing, Beau had yet to make a single noise. In the shock, Leo vaguely wondered why he didn't speak.

With an instantaneous flash of his teeth- much like a wolf would do before attacking- the lanky olive turtle (who was suddenly very intimidating) approached their containment, leaving a mess of mauled bots behind, completely forgotten.

The turtle walked right up to the cage, dropping the katana and grabbing two bars, pressing his face up against them. The older two backed away. From this distance, they could see the depths of his ghostly white gaze, and he appeared almost demonic. Not a single muscle in his face was tensed.

Then, he jumped up on top of the crate, out of their view, to return moments later with a crowbar and something small in his hands. More weapons had also been added to his belt and wrappings. The door was pried open with surprising strength, and then he was standing, waiting for them to exit. He seemed calm enough.

Raph cautiously went first, just as Robert's words went through Leo's head.

_He won't know friend from foe._

"Raph, wait!" He shouted, just as the small thing Beau was holding was revealed to be a gun. Raph just barely dodged three well-aimed bullets as Leo tried to tackle the rogue, before being thrown into the wall.

"Raph, retreat!" He cried. And his timing couldn't be better.

Every single foot bot's body starting blinking red and beeping, increasing in speed every second.

They barely made it outside and got the others before the building exploded into oblivion, bits of glass tearing into the naked skin on their legs and arms, and the fire licking at their shells.

Too bad Beau was always five steps ahead.

**I'm so sorry this was rushed, I just really wanted to get this finished!  
Anyways, hope you enjoyed it regardless!**

**R&R! (Reviews help give me the encouragement to continue, and are great confidence-boosters!)**


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